


Red Flag

by onlyhereforellick



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, FWB, baby I’m back, on the angst train that is, set in s16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21524083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: She gave it five minutes after she heard her front door click shut before letting the tears flow freely. Tonight she’d let herself wallow, tomorrow she’d solider on. If she could survive a cheating husband and murdered fiancé, she could survive this.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 7
Kudos: 60





	Red Flag

**Author's Note:**

> for two anons on tumblr, promise there will be a part 2 ASAP 😉

_ “Ellie...I miss my buddy.” _

The words that started it all. Ellie thought back to that emotional night out on her stoop. Her and Nick grieving the loss of their dear friend. A friend that would be shaking his head at them right about now...

Hot coffee in large mugs snuggled under cozy blankets on their couch led to wandering hands, and before either of them realized what was happening, clothes were strewn across her living room and they lay shoulder to shoulder panting heavily.

It started as a way of dealing with loss. The frustration of losing a friend too early led to sexual release. Mutual attraction that had been building for a couple years didn’t hurt, either. Almost nightly for weeks, they’d hook up. Nick always came to her place—she should have seen that red flag earlier. One day it morphed, it wasn’t a way of dealing with Reeves’ death anymore, no- instead it became a way of letting out any emotion, good or bad, from their previous case.

They never spoke of it. They’d share a coffee after, cuddle on the couch until Ellie fell asleep and Nick would slip out. He never stayed the night. She never asked him to. Their professional life went on as usual, none the wiser about their after-hours arrangement. Nick  _almost_ slipped up once when Gibbs was on vacation, they’d let their guards down and he danced for Ellie in the middle of the bullpen. She’d been seconds away from making a dirty comment, but stopped the moment she remembered where they were.

A few weeks later and something in Ellie shifted. She thought for sure Nick could feel it too, but when nothing changed with their arrangement, when he made no move to become more than just friends who had sex to release pent up emotion, she realized something had to give.

They’d just finished drying off, the shower taking a  _little_ longer than usual after Nick’s hands “slipped” and set off a chain reaction of thrusts and moans. The water started to run cold when they finally finished and quickly rinsed off. In a rare instance of vulnerability—Ellie really did try to hide it from Nick, she had built walls around her heart for a reason, she couldn’t let them come crashing down because her partner was hot—she suggested they get away for a long weekend. Their last case was a rough one, child kidnapping turned murder was never easy to say the least, and it had taken a toll on everyone. Gibbs had given them the weekend off and warned each of them he should not see their face until Monday morning.

“ _What if-, what if we got away? Left our phones at home, unplugged for the weekend? You know- get away from it all?_ ”  Ellie had offered, looking down toeing the tile floor in front of her, she didn’t dare make eye contact.

“ _Y-yeah, sure, we can do that._ ”  Nick’s voice wavered a bit, but Ellie ignored it. This wasn’t some lovers getaway, she knew that. She just wanted to spend time with him because maybe- just maybe- if they didn’t have the outside pressure closing in on them, Nick would realize. He’d see what was painfully obvious to her even if she tried to throw up walls and avoid the truth. They were more than friends who had sex. They were more than partners, even more than best friends. At least...they were to her.

Their camping trip had been amazing. Lots of cliché cuddling my the fireplace, sex in the hot tub, lazy naked mornings spent talking. It was all Ellie could hope for and her heart officially shifted. Everything she’d tried to stop before—keep it casual, keep it unattached—came crashing forward. And in that moment, that perfect bubble, she thought it had for Nick too. He had seemed different, more open, more raw, more willing to let her in. 

But they came back, got right into the thick of it with work...and nothing changed. Nick fell right back into his routine, a little flirting at work, sex every night at her place, and running back to his apartment before morning. Ellie’s heart ached for something real, someone she could tell her friends and family about, someone she could talk about the future with. She felt like she gave so much of herself, but got nothing in return. All Nick did was take her heart with him when he left in the middle of the night. And the worst part...he didn’t even know.

Ellie’s heart broke when they handed Cody over to his adoptive parents. She had truly bonded with this baby, and a glimpse at the future she wanted so damn bad slipped from her grasp. Her head hurt from the emotion she kept bottled up to avoid having to share with Nick or the team. No one could know just how deep she was, the love she didn’t want to grow, did—and as Ellie had learned, unrequited love was a bitch. 

Nick showed up at her place later that night, ready for their nightly routine. Sex, coffee, goodbye. The moment she heard his telltale knock on the door, she knew. This was the last time. She couldn’t do this again, it would break her. And yet, she needed this last night, she’d hold on to the memories of her last night with Nick for eternity. But after, she was done. She’d created an online dating app profile the second she got home from dropping off Cody and she already had five hits. She’d find someone, anyone at this point to get her mind off of her partner. 

The sex was hot, desperate even. Ellie’s nails found purchase down Nick’s back, sure to leave a mark. He followed her lead, leaving bruises on her hips where he gripped her harder with every thrust. She abandoned all thought and let herself just feel. With a tug to the hair tangled in his hand at the nape of her neck, Nick bit the sensitive spot behind her ear as he pulled completely out and entered her with so much force, she knew she’d be walking a little off tomorrow. The dual sensations sent her flying over the edge moaning Nick’s name for the world to hear. Seconds later she felt Nick find his release as he roughly whispered her name. Hearing it undid her worse than the sex. He quickly shed himself of the condom and rolled to cradle her—his front to her back. Ellie’s emotions welled up, threatening to overflow. Their last time  _would_ be incredible, figures. Nick placed a soft kiss between her shoulder blades as his hand found hers. Staring at their intertwined fingers, Ellie let a single, quiet tear slip out. She’d treasure this forever, but tomorrow was a new day. For tonight, she’d pretend all was well until Nick left. Ellie slowed her breathing and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She knew the moment Nick thought she was asleep as his muscles tensed and he twisted off the bed. The cool air that replaced his warm body was a blade to her heart. It twisted when he came around to her side of the bed and pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead with a whispered, “ _goodnight Ellie._ ”

She gave it five minutes after she heard her front door click shut before letting the tears flow freely. Tonight she’d let herself wallow, tomorrow she’d solider on. If she could survive a cheating husband and murdered fiancé, she could survive this. 


End file.
